The Hunt

In these times of such intense ideological discord, The Hunt reminds us that there’s plenty of hate to dish out on both sides.

While an incendiary satire based on The Most Dangerous Game seems like a reasonably provocative concept within the current sociopolitical climate, this ultraviolent effort is more concerned with gently poking fun at stereotypes than exploring its subtext with much depth or conviction.

It sets the stage by revealing — perhaps unexpectedly — that its affluent hunters flying in a private jet to a rural “manor” are left-wingers. Their hand-picked human targets, all of the conservative persuasion, are dropped into a field in parts unknown, alongside a crate of weaponry to give them a supposed sporting chance. As they get their bearings, they try to plot a desperate escape.

What results is an all-out battle for survival during which the rules of engagement keep changing. When they’re not literally trying to blow each other’s heads off, the 1-percenters and their “deplorable” prey occasionally pause to bicker over immigration, gun control, abortion, political correctness, and more.

The closest we come to an empathetic protagonist is Crystal (Betty Gilpin), a resourceful heroine determined to unravel the scheme and gain revenge on the perpetrators at all costs.

Disguised as liberal revenge porn, the uneven screenplay by “Watchmen” collaborators Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof deserves credit for audacity as it sprinkles extremely dark comedy into its efforts to stoke fear and anger from divisiveness.

Meanwhile, director Craig Zobel (Compliance) dials up the brutality and gore to cartoonish level is a variety of exaggerated death scenes. “By the way, climate change is real,” barks out a bloodthirsty radical (Amy Madigan) before bashing in the head of a redneck.

As it jumps from one hapless character to the next, The Hunt struggles to generate consistent suspense and carries an underlying smugness before it settles for a contrived final showdown with mild emotional stakes. The film’s attempts to be edgy and controversial feel strained, and are undercut by relentless cynicism and a lack of subtlety.

It’s all completely ridiculous, but when you’re portraying extremists with such polarizing views, that’s exactly the point. However, in an age of such rampant media sensationalism and social-media conspiracy theories, nothing shocks us anymore.